To focus on establishing an integrated technology transfer base, developing high-yielding plans for rice and foxtail millet, aquaculture value chains and supporting livestock improvement programmes
A highly successful South-South Cooperation (SSC) project between China and Uganda, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), moved towards its latest stage today as a Chinese expert team prepared to deploy to Uganda to provide technical support for implementation of Phase III, which is now being launched.
This new 3-year phase comes after an agreement signed in June of this year, under which Uganda agreed to provide nearly $10 million for the project. It is one of the most significant contributions of its kind by a Least Developed Country beneficiary nation for a SSC project to be implemented under the FAO-China SSC Programme. The first two phases –focused on crop and animal production – yielded dramatic results, including a quadrupling of rice production per hectare in the project areas, as well as increased milk production. This marked a break with years of low productivity, affecting the food security and livelihoods of more than 70 percent of Ugandans who depend on subsistence agriculture.
With Uganda’s contribution , in addition to nearly $2.4 million provided by China, Phase III will focus on four main areas: establishing an integrated technology transfer base; developing high-yielding plans for rice and foxtail millet; supporting livestock improvement programmes; and developing aquaculture value chains.
“The project in Uganda has taught us some key lessons that will allow us to further strengthen future projects under the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme,” FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol said in remarks via video at the launch event. “The commitment of the Governments of China and the Uganda, have been and will continue to be key factors for the successful implementation of the project,” she added.
